Welcome, welcome. We're here today to take another look at Kolchak's "Best Of / Worst Of Character Moments" by investigating "The Night Strangler".

Our main focus players this time around will be: Carl Kolchak, Tony Vincenzo, Captain Shubert, Louise Harper, and Titus Berry

Our Characters Are Impressive!

Carl: Well, Carl did stop this virtually immortal killer. He practically was guided into it by the monster, himself, though, so I'm only handing out a Half-KUDO.

Tony: I'm going to give Tony a Half-KUDO for helping Carl by posting his bail, despite the fact that he must know that helping the half-wit reporter is going to end badly for both of them. I can admire the loyalty, if not the common sense.

[Scott]: I know he started out as a bit of an asshat, but I like that Captain Shubert is shown to be an actual, logical police officer - following up on the same clues that Carl is, just without the brash and sensationalistic attitude about it. I'm handing him a Half-KUDO.

Louise: I gotta give it up for Louise's bravery in trying to help Carl catch their killer to avenge the deaths of her co-workers. She gets a Half-KUDO for her role as "bait".

Titus: Our archivist would do a Watcher proud in digging up interesting and relevent historical facts and he gets a KUDO for being the one to put Carl on our killer's track. In fact, he's really the one who solves the case!

I gotta hand an Anti-KUDO to Dr. Richard Malcom/Malcom Richards who - somehow - figured out how to create an elixir of youth that keeps one from aging for 21 years with one dose.

Our Characters Are Sucking!

Carl- Well, Carl still has some really stupid moments for somebody who was nearly killed by a vampire and is now chasing down a murderer that he is convinced has superhuman strength. Wandering by yourself in the underground where you think the murderer hangs out WITHOUT A WEAPON TO HAND is stupid, Carl. It's stupid and you get a DEMERIT.

Tony- I don't know, Vincenzo. Some of your yelling fits really did seem a bit over the top. I'll let you slide, since I have all the sympathy in having to deal with Carl Kolchak every day, but you might wanna tone it down a bit.

Capt. Shubert: I'm not very impressed with your public liason skills, Captain. There's a difference between being brusque to the press and going out of your way to antagonize that press... especially when you want them to not report the more sensational aspects of your current big case. I think maybe a Half-DEMERIT will give you something to think about in future.

Ms. Harper: I have no problems with Louise.

Mr. Berry: Mr. Berry did nothing for which I want to hand out a demerit.

Look, far be it from me to blame the victim... *ahem*... BUT, Merissa knows that somebody was following her down dark alleys. Why did she choose to stand around on a street corner smoking, instead of rushing inside to a modicum of safety? Not that people should have to dash anywhere just to be safe from assholes, but that is the way it is. Sorry Merissa, but that was really dumb and earns you a Half-DEMERIT. And a death.

The Seattle PD get a DEMERIT for shoddy police work, specifically toward the end of the movie when Carl finds the villain's secret tunnels to Old Seattle when the Police should've been all over finding them already.

Our serial strangler/elixir chemist gets a DEMERIT for being a blabbermouth about just how to go about defeating him and causing him to super age to the one person in the room who is within throwing distance of the very elixir he needs to take immediately. And then has the audacity to be shocked when that person then goes ahead and destroys his elixir, rather than patiently wait to be murdered next.